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In the interest of broadening horizons and improving all of our training experiences, we at the “Residents’ Review” thought we would check in periodically with residents and fellows around the country to find out what kinds of unique or meaningful opportunities are being offered at their programs. This month, two residents highlight the benefits of practicing early leadership skills through the role of “pre-tending,” while others identify the advantages of a well-integrated critical care curriculum during anesthesiology residency.

In terms of preparing me for the real world of anesthesia, one of the greatest rotations so far has been the trauma anesthesia “pre-tending” rotation at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, which I did this year as a CA-3. During this month-long rotation, senior residents work night shifts, alternating with another resident six days on, six off. This schedule is certainly reflective of what we may face in the private setting, and the purpose of this role is to prepare us for being out on our own. Prior to the establishment of this rotation last year, many residents would graduate without any hands-on leadership experience, without inducing their own patients, without running a board.